Driving cleat mechanism for motor-vehicle driving wheels



A. T. STURT.

ECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING WHEELS.

DRIVING CLEAT M APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4

Patented J n1 4, 19122,

ALFRED T. ST'URT, (9F NEW ZOE-K, N. Y., ASSIGNOP, TQ GENERAL IvIO'lURS COR'EQBA- TIQN, {3F DETRUIT, MICHIGAN, A CURPQEATEUN GE DELAW' DRIVING GLEAT MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-"VEHICLE DRIVING lVI-IEELS.

naaaooa Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July i,

Application filed December 4, 1919. serial No. 342,387.

To all whom it mmy concern:

Be it known that l, ALFRED T STURT, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Cleat Mechanism for h/lotor-Vehicle Driving l/Vheels, of which the following is'a full, clear, concise, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the invention relates to make and use the same, reference being made therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to vehicle wheels, and especially to wheels designed for use as the driving wheels or" automobiles, motor trucks, and similar self-propelled vehicles; and the principal object of my invention is to provide an improved auxiliary driving device having cleats or equivalent projections upon its periphery to thereby secure a more secure engagement between the wheel and the surface over which it is moving, in order to prevent the slipping of the driving wheel when the vehicle is traveling over soit, sandy or muddy ground Afurther object of my invention is to provide an improved cleat mechanism or cleat device which may be readily attached to and removed from a driving wheel of a motor propelled vehicle, to thereby increase the grip of the wheel upon the ground along which it is to travel and prevent the shpping thereof.

A further object or" my invention is to provide a vehicle driving wheel having a cleat supporting member or rirn normally secured to the felly thereof, and to which F1316 a plurality of cleat supporting strips may be readily secured if and when it becomes desirable to provide cleats for preventing the driving wheels from slipping; but winch cleat supporting strips and cleats may be readily removed and the wheel used without them under ordinary conditions, and when cleats are not necessary to secure a driving effect.

A further object of my invention pro-- vide a vehicle driving wheel having a suit able cleat supporting rim, in combination with plurality of independent c strips each extending r around the periphery of the rim; but which cleat supporting strips are all alike, so that a single form of strip is employed throughoutand so that any given strip will fit any portion of the rim in question to which it is applied and secured.

With the above and other objects of invention in view my invention consists in the improved vehicle wheel and driving cleats therefor illustrated in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter described and claimed, and in such variations and modi- 'ficatlons thereof, within the scope of the con eluding claims, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

in the drawing accompanying and =5 ing a part of this specification and wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a view showing a motor vehicle driving wheel equipped with my invention in perspective.

Figure 2 is a view showing my invention as applied to a vehicle driving wheel side elevation, certain parts thereof being broken away to better illustrate the same.

Figure 3 is a view, showing a section upon a plane transverse relative to the periphen of the wheel, the position of the plane heing indicated by the line 3 -3, Figure Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral l designates the hub and 5 the spokes of an ordinary form of motor vehicle wheel, and 6 designates a brake drurn secured to and partaking of the movement thereof. indicated by the reference numeral '5, and t3 designates a tire supported by the r el and which may be oi any desired hind or type, as will be appreciated.

Located to one side of the telly is series of brackets 9, which brackets are detachably secured to the telly as by means of bolts 10 extending through holes provided in the inner ortion of the bi nets and in the telly. These brackets are or such construction the outer ends or heats thereof are oilset and positioned somewhat to one side of the plane 013 the surface of 1 an to which their inner ends se said out r en The ielly of the wheel is nated by the reference numeral '11 and which rim is channel shaped in cross-section and is formed with inwardly extending flanges 12, 13 upon opposite sides thereof; the flange- 13 extending inward a short distance between the upper ends of the brackets and the portions of the tire and rim adjacent the periphcry of the wheel, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3. This rim in the embodiment of my invention illustrated is substantially cylindrical in form and the periphery thereof extends at right angles to the plane of the wheel, and the same is provided with two oppositely located openings 14, 14

formed in its periphery; and the reference numerals 15', 15 designate two abutments r-fone withthe other and Twhich strips are detachably secured to the exterior surface of the rim 11; and each of which strips is provided with a series or road engaging cleats 17 spaced along the outer side thereof. These cleat supporting strips'are provided each with a hook 18 secured to one end thereof and which hooks are adapted to engage the end edges of the openings 11, 14 provided in the rim while the other ends of said cleat supporting strips are provided with means adapted to engage the abutments 15 above referred to to thereby detachably hold, the cleat supporting strips and the cleats carried by them in place upon the periphery of the rim; thus providing a construction wherein the strips and cleats may be readily removed fromthe rim when the I roadway along which the vehicle is travelling is sucha condition as not to require the use-of cleats on the driving wheels, and as readily put in place should the use of cleats become necessary.

In "the form of my invention illustrated the means for securing the ends of the cleat supporting strips remote from the ends having the hooks 18 in place relative to the rim 11 include two brackets 19 secured one to each of the ends in question; while the reference numerals 20, 20 designate two securing bolts pivotally connected at 21 with the brackets 19, and which bolts extend through the openings 14 and through the openings provided in the abutments 15, and the free ehds of which bolts are provided with nuts 22 which, upon being tightened, obviously draw the cleat supporting strips 16 into firm engagement with the peri hery of the rim 11. .Certain of the cleats 1 ad acent the middle of the cleat supporting strips are pref- "whole may be removed 'from'the rim; from which it follows that my invention provides a construction in which the rim for support ing the cleats is normally in place upon the wheel (although it may obviously he removed therefrom by removing the bolts 10), and at the same time a construction in which the cleat strips may be readily attachedto the rim if and when the vehicle encounters a portion of roadway which is muddy, sandy or otherwise insecure and in which cleats are necessary in order to secure a proper driving action of the driving wheels, and as readily removed from the wheel when it is not necessary to use cleats.

It will be appreciated that the two cleats supporting strips 16 are identical in form 'one with the other, so that either strip may be placed upon either of the twoportions of the rim 11 between the openings 14. This provides cleat mechanism in which a single form of cleat carrying member or strip has to be manufactured and, furthermore, provides a cleat structure in which the cleat supporting strips do not have to be definitely positioned relative to a particular portion of the supporting rims for the driving wheels, as any cleat supporting strip will fit upon any of the portions of the driving wheels of the vehicle'between the openings provided in the rims thereof. I

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a vehicle wheel, a cylindrical rim having a plurality of openings formed therein; abutments secured to the inner surface of said rim and located one adjacent each of the openingsgtaforesaid; a plurality of cleat supporting strips each \having a hook atone end adapted to engage an end edge of one of said openings; and securing bolts pivotally connected one with the other end of each of said cleat supporting strips, and which bolts eictend through the openings aforesaid in said rim and through openings provided one in each of said abutments when the strips are in place upon the rim, to thereby detachably secure said cleat supporting strips in place.

'2. In a vvehicle wheel, a cylindrical rim having a plurality of oppositely located openings formed therein; a plurality of cleat supporting strips each having a hook at one end adapted to engage an end edge of one of said openings; andsecuring members connected. one with the other end of each of said cleat supporting strips and through which said other ends may be detachably secured an edge of said opening, means on the other to said rim. end of the strip extending through the open- -3. In a vehicle Wheel, a. cylindrical rim ing and engaging said abutment, said means 10 having an opening therein, an abutment secomprising a bolt and nut whereby the strip 5 cured to the inner surface of the rim adme be tightened upon the rim.

'acent said opening, a cleat supporting strip 1 1 1 testimony whereof I aflix my signature. aving a hook at one end adapted to engage ALFRED. T. STURT. 

